Outback Steakhouse® Honey Wheat Bushman Bread®

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(Courtesy of Top Secret Recipes)

Along with an entree at this popular steakhouse chain, comes a freshly baked loaf of this dark, sweet bread, served on it's own cutting board with soft whipped butter. One distinctive feature of the bread is its color. How does the bread get so dark? While you may notice the recipe includes instant coffee and cocoa, these ingredients will not give it it's deep dark chocolate brown color - not even close. Usually breads that are this dark -- such as pumpernickel or dark bran muffins -- contain caramel color, an ingredient often used in the industry to darken foods. Since your local supermarket will not likely have this mostly commercial product, we will make the caramel color from a mixture of three food colorings -- red, yellow and blue. Just be sure to get the food coloring in the little droppers so that you can count the drops as you measure. That's very important to getting the color just right. You may also opt to keep the color out. The bread will certainly taste the same, but will look nothing like the real deal. I suggest using a bread machine for the mixing and kneading, if you have one.

Makes 8 small loaves


Dough
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
2 cups bread flour
1 2/3 cups wheat flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons instant coffee
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 pkg.) yeast

Coloring
1/4 cup water
75 drops red food coloring
45 drops blue food coloring
30 drops yellow food coloring

cornmeal for dusting


1. If using a bread machine, add all of the ingredients for the dough in the exact order listed into the pan of your machine. Set it on "knead" and when the machine begins to mix the dough, combine the food coloring with 1/4 cup of water and drizzle it into the mixture as it combines. After the dough is created let it rest to rise for an hour or so. Then remove it from the pan and go to step #3.
2. If you are not using a bread machine, combine the flours, cocoa, sugar, coffee and salt in large bowl. Make a depression or "well" in the middle of the dry mixture. Pour the warm water into this "well," then add the butter, honey and yeast. Combine the food coloring drops with 1/4 cup of water and add that to the "well." Slowly mix the ingredients with a spoon, drawing the dry ingredients into the wet. When you can handle the dough, begin to combine it by hand, kneading the dough thoroughly for at least ten minutes, until it is very smooth and has a consistent color. Set the dough into a covered bowl in a warm place for an hour, to allow it to rise.
3. When the dough has risen to about double in size, punch it down and divide it into 8 even portions (divide dough in half, divide those halves in half, and then once more). Form the portions into tubular shaped loaves about 8 inches long and 2 inches wide. Sprinkle the entire surface of the loaves with cornmeal and place them on a cookie sheet, or two. Cover the cookie sheet(s) with plastic wrap and let the dough rise once more for another hour in a warm location.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the dough and bake it for 20-24 minutes in the hot oven. Loaves should begin to darken slightly on top when done. Serve warm with a sharp bread knife and butter on the side. If you want whipped butter, like you get at the restaurant, just use an electric mixer on high speed to whip some butter until it's fluffy.


Tidbits

It is normal for this dough to be a bit tacky and to seem somewhat thin. Just be sure to add plenty of flour to your hands and work surface when working with the dough to prevent sticking.
If you are able to find caramel color, you can use that with 1/4 cup of water in place of the food coloring formula described in the recipe.

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Improvements:

From: "BOB CAMPBELL"

I was experimenting with the Outback Steakhouse Honey Wheat bread recipe and came up with this: Use a mild flavored molasses instead of the honey and coloring mixture. The bread comes out with a nice dark brown color and flavor just like the bread in the restaurant. I also use half water and half milk for my bread. The fat in the milk keeps the loaf from becoming stale too quickly. Thanks for getting the recipe for the bread- it is one of my favorites!


I found the recipe for the Outback Steakhouse bread on the website and was
ecstatic, because that bread is the main reason I ever go to that restaurant. This recipe does make a very similar product, but I have found that the recipe as-is produces a dough that is much too thin and sticky, especially if the food coloring/water mixture is used. I generally add about an extra cup of wheat flour and it turns out great. Also, I have noticed that when I eat the bread after it has been stored in the freezer a while, it tastes even better than it does when freshly-baked. I guess the flavors develop more or something, like with nut breads.

Thanks again!

--Bethany Gronberg




The biggest problem most folks have in making yeast based breads and rolls at home is finding that warm place to raise the bread with consistent results. It is so dependent on the weather, etc. and for us poor souls with an electric kitchen, we don't even have a pilot light to help us out. I was given this tip years ago by a chef at Walt Disney World for making a proof box by using your dishwasher. That's right I said a dishwasher.

Here's the procedure.
Before you start making the dough, throw about a cup of water in the bottom of your dishwasher. Turn the dishwasher to the dry cycle (make sure you you have the high temperature dry on) and firmly latch the door. When the dough is complete (the dry cycle should be done by now), put it in a bowl and cover it. Then quickly open the door, place the bowl in, close the door and firmly latch it. Set a kitchen timer to exactly one hour. At the end of the hour (no peeking or you will let the heat out) remove the dough which is now perfectly doubled. If the recipe calls for a second rising (breads, rolls) as soon as you remove the dough, put the dishwasher on through half it's dry cycle to reheat the "proof box". Form your loaves or rolls and cover again according to the recipe. Place the loaves back into the dishwasher as above for exactly 30 minutes while you preheat the oven. After 30 minutes, your breads will be perfectly risen. Take them out of the dishwasher, put immediately into the hot oven and bake according

With this procedure, you will be able to make any yeast based recipe start (from the moment you take out the first ingredient) to finish (when you take the bread out of the oven) in three hours with perfect consistent results each and every time. I have used this technique for years and would never raise my breads any other way. Give it a try and you too will become a believer.